


Forerunners

by Kallahan



Series: The Chronicler's Tales [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:48:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26709280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kallahan/pseuds/Kallahan
Summary: An account of the Forerunners, as told by the Chosen guardian, and recorded by the ever prestigious Chronicler.
Series: The Chronicler's Tales [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1869529





	Forerunners

They were just where he said they’d be; in the most inconvenient place possible. After checking half their extensive list of (known) hideouts I finally found them tucked in a dead zone cave, lurking in the shadow of the Traveler’s shard. 

**_Gotta make sure not to clue ‘em in that you’re comin’, if I know them they always got their hands on their bug-out bags. They’re slippery like that, learned it from me._ **

The group was exactly as receptive to company as I’d anticipated, knowing the Drifter. Dozen tripmines, wires, and pressure plates like the old man warned me about, and a few he didn’t. Nearly died twice on my way down, but I managed to slip through.

**_Gotta approach with your hand on your grip, but don’t draw it. They ain’t gonna trust ya no matter what brotha, but at least they’ll know if the shootin’ starts, you’ll shoot back._ **

I see the titan first. Bulky plated armor screwed together and assembled asymmetrically on her body, with one diamond shaped pauldron, and rigid angular metal decorated her legs, probably for jabbing into rib cages. A v-shaped piece of metal jutted from the top of her cuirass, guarding her neck; guess she was tired of dying that way. She had the strangest bow I’d ever laid eyes on, it had wide limbs shaped like dull blades, the string fully drawn and pointed right at me. On her back she sported an equally massive double-bladed sword with a flat, blunt end, like a butcher knife you’d use to hack up Cabal. I could see her light, glowing purple and pulsing through the weapon.

“No further,” she said the words like they were a fact, not a warning. I stop where I am, and rest my hand on Lumina’s grip. She held the bow string back unerringly, her arm not even shaking.

My eyes scan around their dimly lit headquarters. Dusty radios were strewn about, makeshift tables set up from partially rotted wood and canvas, and tech arrays sprouting out of metal boxes, ready to be folded back in at a moment’s notice. A warlock was behind one of the comm sets, their hand hovering over one of the screens, ready to press whatever it was just in case; I didn’t intend to find out what it did.

**_You can tell ‘em ol’ Drifter sent ya, but I can’t promise it’ll help. Might owe some of ‘em some glimmer still come to think of it, I’ll have to balance my books. Actually scratch that, maybe don’t say I sent ya._ **

“We have a Praxic rat in our den?” A raspy voice echoed through the cave.

I lifted my hand slightly, flipping up the leather holster to make the light-forged weapon known. “Drifter sent me.”

On a rock outcropping sticking out of a wall a figure appears, dark smoke keeping them hidden rolling off their body and dissipating into the void, the Hunter. Their form was similarly armored but sleeker, padded with zippers and handles and belts and buckles, but still symmetrical. A strange hook-shaped blade rested on the back of their cloak, which clung unnaturally around their helm. They looked at me through a pill-shaped glowing window in their helmet, the white light in the dark reminded me of taken. Probably not a coincidence.   
  
“If it isn’t the chosen one, last I heard you were dusting Saint-14 off out on Mercury, what brings you out here to our little hole in the ground, didn’t ya hear the world’s ending?” The hunter leaned leisurely back on the stone, and tapped the cannon in their hand against their helm, taken essence dusted off it like pollen with every tap. 

I could see now they all had one, the hand cannons. Malfeasance. Drifter says damn near everyone's got one by now, but it isn't stopping them from sporting theirs like badges. The warlock’s was ornate and patterned, but barely different from any other of its kind. The titan’s was the color of jade, with length of red string tied around the barrel. The hunter’s looked like it was taken by Oryx himself, hadn’t quite seen one like it before. Reminded me of Whisper, which could only mean it was bad news.

“Drifter’s got a job offer for you.” I announce.

“What kind of job?” The hunter tilts their head forward intently.

“Killing stuff, banking darkness, all things I hear are your specialties.” 

“Then why ain’t ol’ Drifter here to offer it to us in person?” The hunter steps down from their perch, but doesn't holster the weapon; just holds loosely at their side. 

“He’s busy.”

“With what, packing his bags?” 

“Waiting to hear back from the Reckoner, he jumped into the Nine’s realm a couple hours ago lookin’ for answers.” The hunter looked at me for a long, pregnant moment, and then finally released a cackle.

“Answers? Hah!” the titan joins in the laugh, and then the hunter sticks a finger an inch from my helm “ _Fuck_ their world! There’s no answers there, just dust. The ‘Reckoner’ of all people should know that.” The warlock doesn’t join the laugh, just shudders at the mention of the Nine. 

The hunter slides their arm across their helmet, as if to wipe tears from laughing eyes. "That's rich, so what, Drifter lost his favorite lackey and now he wants us to doing his dirty work again?" 

I don't move or flinch, I give their little show no reaction. When the tension has set back in, I ask “Do you want the job or not?” 

"Maybe," The hunter steps real close, the neon white of their helmet shining right into my eyes. “What’s in it for us?” I'm surprised it took them this long to ask.

**_Brotha let me tell you, there’s only one language all risen speak, hell most fallen speak it too. Maybe the occasional cabal. You get the idea._ **

“He’s paying upfront” I say as my ghost transmats a bulky-black breach loader into my hand, which I promptly shove against the hunter’s chest. They take a step back and let the weapon fall into their their hands.

“Is this..” they begin.

“A weaponized bank? Yes.” I finish. 

The hunter doesn’t even look back to the other two to confirm, “hah, alright we’re in, what’s the job?” 

"Hive and taken are messing with the Pyramids every time they try to make contact over on IO, your job’s to run interference on them when they do.”

“And what about you?”

I cross my arms “I'll be working out working with Eris Morn, I’m afraid you’ll be the forerunners on this one for a while.” The titan perks up as I say the words, her gaze darts to the warlock, and then falls back onto the hunter.

“Cy..” she says to the hunter, her tone wavers with concern.

The hunter looks back at her, “yeah I know I know.” 

I cock my head to the side, “Is something the matter?” 

The air hangs heavy with unspoken words as I wait for a response. The two stare at each other, talking the way all fireteams talk when they've been through hell and back. Finally the titan nods, and the hunter turns back to me, holstering their gun.  
  
“It’s Ray, our warlock” They gesture to the figure, still holding their hand over the same button like when I came in, their guard still not down. “The last time we went to that place, to the Nine’s realm, Ray had a real bad time with it.”

“That’s putting it mildly” the titan interjects. The hunter shoots her back a look before continuing.  
  
“Anyway when we got out, the only thing Ray said for a week was that word..”

“ _Forerunners_ ,” the titan says, releasing the word out into the air at no one in particular, "over and over again, _forerunners_."

“Hm,” I hum, taking it all in. I can feel it in my chest, that sense that everything is connected in ways we can't see, by things we can't fight. I hadn't felt it since the Dreaming City. They all sit in silence. I bet they're feeling it too. 

“I guess there are answers to be found in their world after all.” I say, turning to go. 

I call back to them as I begin my trudge back through the caves.

“See you all on IO.”

**Author's Note:**

> Writing in the world of Destiny is fun, if you happen to enjoy my work be sure to give it a kudos so I know to share more of what I've written!
> 
> And as always constructive feedback is appreciated.


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